New contract with teacher’s union does not include raises
Ridgemont Board of Education members extended their congratulations during their Thursday evening meeting to the school’s FFA Chapter for their achievements at the state convention, with members attaining a number one ranking in Ohio for the Growing Leaders chapter award.
The chapter competed in all three Models of Innovation, and were also named a Top 10 Chapter in Ohio, along with a Top 10 Chapter in Strengthening Agriculture and Building Communities.
“We recognize the Ridgemont FFA Chapter for being selected as one of the Top Ten FFA Chapters in the State of Ohio for the 12th year in a row. At the state convention, our 120 member chapter competed with 310 other chapters,” board members said.
“The board congratulates the Ridgemont FFA Members and their advisers, Mrs. Stephanie Jolliff and Ms. Shelby Faulkner for this exceptional achievement.”
This year’s convention was not hosted in the traditional format because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but the 2020 Ohio FFA Celebration took place online via Ohio FFA social media channels from May 4-8, according to www.ohioffa.org.
Relating to individual awards, Star Awards were presented to Cole McKinley, Ohio’s Star State Farmer, and Nole Gerfen, Ohio’s Candidate for Star American Farmer.
Proficiency Awards recipients were: Mekenzie Jolliff, first in the proficiency area of Accounting and in Agriculture Education; Cole McKinley, second in Small Animal Care and Management and fourth in Diversified Livestock; Rebecca Bash, first in Service-Learning; and Madisen Jolliff, second in Service- Learning
State FFA Degree recipients were Austin Elsasser, Nikki Freshcorn, Abby Hawk, Gabe Hamilton, Autumn Manns, Kelsey McKinley, Alli Underwood, Collin Wallace and Jeremiah Whitaker.
Agriscience Fair Awards were presented as follows: first place awards — Mykenzie Lance, Animal Systems Division 3; Callie Cromer and Mitch Jennings, Food Products and Processing Division 4; Whitney Bailey and Zoei Wilson, Social Systems Division 4; and Madisen Jolliff, Social Systems Division 5; second place — Destiny Chaffins and Gaby Shelt, Environmental and Natural Resource Systems Division 4; Brooke Nelson and Emma Smith, Power, Structural and Technical Systems Division 4; and third place — Wyatt Furer, Plant Systems Division 3; Landyn Hijma, Power, Structural and Technical Systems Division 3; Bradley Brown and Dylan Jenkins, Power, Structural and Technical Systems Division 4.
In personnel matters, the board of education and the Ridgemont Education Association have both approved a new negotiated one-year agreement, with a 0 percent increase in teacher salaries and the board picking up a 10 percent increase in insurance, officials said. The contract is effective July 1 through June 30, 2021.
The board approved the classified employees will have the same contributions toward insurance premiums in accordance with the 2020-21 negotiated agreement for the certified employees.
Members also extended a three-year contract to K-12 Principal of Curriculum and Instruction Erica O’Keeffe. Her contract begins at $92,673.76.
Members approved a two-year contract to continue the school resource officer agreement with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.
In other action, the board approved:
• classified contracts for Tami Freshcorn, Stan Schrader, James Shepherd, Dee Danieu and Jo Warner;
• payment for teachers to work on curriculum and payment of contracts through the closure of school;
• non-renewal of all spring supplemental contracts;
• the shared food service supervisor agreement;
• Third Grade Testing/Paper Format, Policy 3220 and Special Education agreement.
• Memo of Understanding for Ohio Teacher Evaluation System updates;
• additional Class of 2020 graduate, Alyssa Ruble, to receive her diploma;
• accepted and thanked donors for the following donations : anonymous donors who donate scholarships and lunch money, fees, memorials, classroom items, field trips etc. throughout the school year; Bethanie Overly for donation to second-grade; Ridgemont Activity Boosters for helping with the cost of the senior banners, Mount Victory Community Improvement Committee, the village of Mt. Victory and Ridgemont Public Library for allowing the district to hang the banners; William Britton VFW Post for the donation of American Flags for seniors; and Hardin County Emergency Operations Center for distributing washable masks for school staff made by The Original Mattress Factory.